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Jarana defends SAA’s poor performance, lack of turnaround

State-owned South African Airways (SAA) on Tuesday said it was again taking “urgent steps” to address issues raised by the Auditor-General’s (AG’s) office in its 2016/17 audit report, which was released last week.

“The AG has given us a comprehensive diagnosis into key areas of our business and this has provided deep insights,” SAA CEO Vuyani Jarana said in a release issued on Tuesday.

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The report formed part of SAA’s integrated report along with financial results for 2016/17, which were due to be announced later this month. The airline has incurred a net loss of R5.57-billion and expected that its financial situation will not be much different for 2017/18.

Jarana again called for funding for the airline’s proposed five-year plan and turnaround strategy, noting that it required support from its shareholder. SAA already received a R10-billion bailout from National Treasury last year, in an attempt to improve its balance sheet.

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“SAA has had many previous turnaround strategies which have not been implemented before. This time it is different: we believe the vision outlined by the board is absolutely correct and are committed to ensuring it is put into practice.

“However, it is important to note that SAA has never been properly capitalised, and any company has a defined maximum debt capacity beyond which debt becomes a burden,” said Jarana.

By: Rebecca Campbell
South Africa’s second largest airline company, Comair, and American software-industrial group Honeywell announced on Friday that the airline has chosen the US group’s advanced cockpit technologies suite to equip the Boeing 737-800 MAX 8 airliners that it is acquiring. The suite will include a three-dimensional weather radar system (the IntuVue RDR-4000).
“Our new fleet additions will enable us to be on the cutting edge of aerospace technology and in a leadership position among airlines in the region,” affirmed Comair CEO Erik Venter. “Supplementing that with some of the best navigation and weather equipment from Honeywell International Inc., means that we can keep our commitment to safety and ensure passengers reach their destinations quickly and comfortably.”
“Maintaining reliable, safe service is of maximum importance to airlines, especially as they look for new and impactful ways to upgrade their fleets,” highlights Honeywell International aerospace leader: Africa Rudolph Louw. “Working with Honeywell International Inc. provides pilots with the intelligence they need to not only make incremental adjustments in the flight route to save time and fuel, but also avoid patches of turbulent weather. Ultimately this helps drive fuel and maintenance efficiencies, while promoting a positive passenger experience.”
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